Archive for the ‘Beauty’ Category

For a healthy and natural boost to skin, cosmetic blush is actually the biggest secret weapon under a makeup artist’s belt. But we’re not talking about Aunt Marge’s triple applied finger-rubbed multi-tasking lipstick technique. We’re talking about the look of a delicate pink flush that replicates the natural response reminiscent of a youthful glow or a satisfying, dewy after moment of fabulous…you know what.

Sadly, many of us are afraid to apply blush altogether, or worse, suffer from severe blush overload. You will always run into several beauty professionals who will each try to persuade you into using their own “set in stone” technique when applying, but to uncomplicate things, the truth of the matter is: When it comes to blush, a little goes a long way. It’s really not about how much you put on. It’s about HOW you put it on. Blush should be used to create a more symmetrical face. (Which has been scientifically proven to be more pleasing and sexually appealing to the eye.)

The mark. cosmetics website has created a chart to help a lady out.Find your face type below to discover the way to put on your blush so that it best flatters and brings out the best version of you.

HEART SHAPED:  Apply blush in small circles, on the apples of cheeks, to help jaw and chin appear wider.

ROUND: Give the appearance of a more elongated face by swirling blush just above the apples of the cheek with a soft hand.

SQUARE: Soften the angles of the face by shading the jaw line and temples. Also, sweep the brush upward from apples to the hair line to draw up the eye.

OVAL: Brush blush with strokes horizontally across cheek bones to help the face appear wider.

Here are a few Beauty Bohemian approved blushes that you just gotta try:

Napoleon Perdis’ “Blush Patrol” ($50) A cult-favorite full of serious loveliness. Baked and pressed, it’s the perfect powder for a fresh and natural glow (when applied dry) or for some serious contour (when applied wet.) Excellent on any skin tone and skin type as it has antioxidants and Vitamin E, making it one of the healthiest blushes on the market.  Check out the Napoleon Perdis Concept Store in the San Francisco Westfield Centre and have one of their makeup artists demonstrate and show you exactly how the pros do it.

Pur Mineral’s Universal Marble Mineral Powder in “Spice” ($23.50) Not that into pinks? This color adds a nice warm glow. Nourishing skin with shea butter and vitamin E. The mosaic blend of copper, cinnamon and pearl is ideal for women of all colors. Really brings out a girl’s best features. Check out Pur Mineral’s at Ulta Salon and Cosmetics in San Bruno. Call (650) 873-4225 for directions on how to get there.
Mark. Cosmetics Good Glowing Mosaic Blush in “Love Rush” ($7.00) Tried and tested by the SF Beauty Examiner, it is a super smooth formula that is long lasting and extremely rich for the uber affordable price tag. Buy it online or find your local mark. representative.

(L:Carnation, R: Baby Pink)

At under $10 buck a pop, these lipsticks deliver the color and quality of its high end competitors. Creamy, smooth, and with tons of color, there is no denying that Revlon had delivered yet another amazing lipstick that is worth every single one of the pennies it cost. Right now, it’s on sale at Walgreens for buy one get one half off.  So it cost a mere $15 plus tax for two. Fun! What is even more fun is how I was able to get the hubby to buy it for me since it was bought based on a bet bewteen us that I won. (He said Walgreens was that way, I said Walgreens was this way. I was right.) I ended up getting two since it was a deal and the cashier insisted. Lucky me! It is extra moisturizing too making it my choice for this winter weather that has every inch of me peeling with dryness. Not fun.

Above, is Baby Pink and Carnation. Of the two, the Carnation is the one I adore since it resembles closely to one of my favorite green beauty lipsticks of all time – Josie Marin’s Bambolina. (FYI: Josie’s lippies cost $28! This is a good alternate.) The Baby Pink is a little too, obviously, “baby-like” making my naturally tan skin look more brown and very much like an Asian-valley girl.

What I didn’t like so much:

• No scent. I like my lipsticks with signature scents. That whole stimulate the senses thing is so true. I am addicted to MAC, Maybelline Color Sensational, and NYX lipsticks because of this single attention to detail and characteristics.
• Slides/smears off easily but is a fine trade for it’s moisturizing properties. Now, in freezing cold January, more than ever.
• The twist up cases were inconsistent. One tube is stiff/difficult to twist up while the other is easy.
• the casing is quilted on only two sides. The other side is smooth.  You can see it in the picture above. I got a little OCD about it (where the quilt side had to line with the quilt side, etc. etc.) and now that compulsion is just annoying me. Why not just quilt all around, Revlon?

Moisturizing, colorful, smooth, and rich…Over all, Revlon is always a winner with their lipsticks. I also adore the tastefully black packaging. And if you are iffy about color-matching, I recommend to be sure to buy it at Ulta or CVS, where you can trade it in after trying it in case you don’t  don’t like it. IMO, even if it’s having a fabulous buy one get one deal, Walgreen’s return policy isn’t ideal when trying lipsticks since they don’t take it back if you have already used it.

Have an amazing weekend!

It’s four more days until New Year’s Eve, and a new year calls for new brushes! Toss your old and nasty ones, you know that they’ve collected insane amounts of unwanted gunk and build-up over the last 12 months. Need a better reason to chuck them? E.L.F. has a Limited Edition glittery and girly version of their extremely affordable and yet absolutely functional Studio brushes. The kit is orginally $30 (with a $38 value) but with CODE: 2011 – You can get it for a steal at $20.11!  The code is valid until the 3rd of January, so be sure to order yours soon and before they run out.

The Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection Includes:

• Sleek, Water-Resistant Case
• Eyeshadow “C” Brush
• Complexion Brush
• Small Angled Brush
• Small Smudge Brush
• Fan Brush
• Powder Brush
• Angled Foundation Brush
• Concealer Brush
• Small Precision Brush
• Blush Brush
• Contouring Brush

I am a big sucker for brush collections and I’ve never been one to splurge on them, with a big consideration on how I take care of them (or for the lack of taking care of them) and how I often lose them. I find E.L.F.’s deal amazing and totally worthy of an online shopping frenzy.  E.L.F. is one of my favorite inexpensive brush brands and the Studio brushes are my ultimate first choice from their products.  You cannot find all their brushes at Target stores either, so the fact that you are going to get 11 essential pieces is just freaking awesome. I’m ringing in the new year with this deal for sure. My face and my makeup bag are doing the happy dance this new year.

Everyone loves to look their absolute best but Beauty Lovers take that desire to a whole new level. Beauty junkies, addicts, and makeup collectors know their stuff and instead of heading somewhere to get these ladies stockings stuffed with mediocre makeup bag “fillers,” think fully “functional” favorites and purchase cosmetic products that these makeup divas are actually going to need, use, and absolutely love you for. This Christmas, gain some extra BFF points with these budget-friendly buys and let your beauty loving buddy think that she’s rubbing off her makeup know-how on you in all the right ways.

ELF Studio Eyelashes – My sister and cousin Michelle got me hooked on this brand. I tried the ELF original lashes and absolutely despisd them but the studio lashes are worth every penny! At $3.00, these amazingly affordable lashes can rival any department store brand that costs six times its price. Find E.L.F. products at your nearest Bay Area Target by clicking here.

ELF Studio Concealer – With four universally flattering concealer shades to perfect the appearance of skin, your giftee will get quality coverage without the crazy cost.

ELF Studio Cream Blushes – Super fun, easy to  use, and available in a variety of colors. You can’t go wrong with these perfectly whipped cosmetic confections.

Touch Back by Colormark’s Temporary Hair Color Markers – These hair markers make designing hair with hints of highlights and colors, easy, fun, and fast, since it simply washes out with every shower. It is also excellent at covering grays and quick color touch-ups between salon appointments.

Umberto Dry Shampoo – An excellent dry shampoo that instantly adds volume, lift, and texture to second day hair. Find Umberto’s amazing line of hair products at your nearest Bay Area Target by clicking here.\

NYX cosmetics lipsticks - They are sooo cheap and come in variety of colors.

Happy Holidays! Don’t forget to subscribe above for more gift guides to come and follow me on twitter @miratorres (http://www.twitter.com/miratorres)

I hate to clean. Like, I really hate it. I would much rather be subjected to eating frozen dinners for four months than clean my apartment. But I have to. Because my husband
And son have been oh so patient with my lack of attention to our humble abode that I feel that they deserve a clean house. Even if it only lasts for a day… more like millisecond

So, in order to motivate myself, I’ve decided that bribery is the best trick. What will it be? NYX lipsticks. On a ridiculously tight budget, not only are the round lipsticks extremely cheap, but they are also something I have been dying to try. I received two free ones at a beautylish event I went to a few months ago, but I think getting them free doesn’t count. Yes, that is a justification.

Anyways, since I am a gigantic dork and beauty junkie, I went ahead and started scouring youtube for swatches of their lipsticks. There’s more than 110 shades to choose from and a little help from fellow beauty gurus, goes a long way.

On my list:

Tea Rose

Doll

Snow White

Thalia

Louisiana

and Fig

As you can tell, I like my pinks.

I’m also going to order a concealer pot in “Light.” The lovelies of their twitter team converted my NW25 MAC to their 03 in NYX Foundations. Isn’t that sweet? Gosh, I love twitter. Once I get them in, I’ll be putting up swatches. Yay!

My house will be spic and span aaaaand I’ll have an arsenal of sweet, sweet kisser collections.

Waking up early on a Saturday morning (and by early I mean anytime before 10:00 AM)  must be worth it. Like really, really worth it. When I got the e-mail saying that the Grand Opening/Launch to  L’Occitane store was going to start at 11:00 AM, and they mentioned that Gilles Marini was going to be there, I thought “Eh! Why not?” Celebrities and skincare are always a great reason to wake up at 8:30ish on the weekend.

Unfortunately, as you can see from some of the pictures taken by Drew Altizer at the event, my makeup barely even showed up. Perhaps because I kept it really simple, or it might have melted off my face from me rushing from Bart station to Bart station with no time for touch-ups. I went extremely casual that day. Wearing my Patrick Robinson reversible tank, brown boots, a vintage crocheted layer vest, and some Forever 21 blue skinny jeans.

Above was my FOTD (Face of the Day) which, I like to call on here, Face Value. *Because, I grew up in a Green Day obsessed generation and FOD was the bonus song on their Dookie album and it was an abbreviation of “F*** Off and Die” which is, therefor, an abbreviation that I am uncomfortable to use as an abbreviation to represent my face.

Again, I’m wearing the most basic of my makeup routine in the pic and all that was used is pretty much under $10.

MAC lipstick: Revlon Super Renewist Lipcolor in “Naturally Nude” (Discontinued – Somewhat tell them to bring it back because I LOVE it.)

Eyeliner: Almay Waterproof Eyeliner in Black

Foundation: Maybelline Dream Mousse in Creamy Natural

Brows: E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow kit in Medium

Bronzer: Rimmel London in Sun Bronze

That’s it for now, Boho babes! Until next time. xo

Here’s another picture for hoots.

According to WWD, Cover Girl will be launching an all-natural, synthetics-free, beauty line entitled “Nature Luxe.” With the aim to fulfill the beauty uprise and demand for lighter, natural, and healthier makeup, Procter and Gamble is hoping this line will appeal to both green goddesses and high-end/prestige cosmetic users.

Coming to your nearest drugstore Spring 2011, with mega-star Taylor Swift simultaneously launching her Cover Girl ads alongside the new line, I’m sure finding new consumers to try their latest all-natural beauty line isn’t going to be a problem. I, for one, cannot wait to see if it lives up to my own green beauty standards.

And now for some real vanity…

Whenever there is a huge event, I usually post up a pic stating the products I used. This becomes my “Face Value” Post.  This was my look at the recent SFFAMA Inc. Fashion Mash-up Forum: Why Blog ABout Fashion?

(Picture courtesy of Del Geronimo of www.delgeronimo.com)

• Foundation: Smashbox’s High Definition HealthyFX in M1
• Lipstick: MAC’s Lovelorn
• Blush: BareMineral’s blush in Precious Pearl
• Bronzer: E.L.F.’s Studio Countouring Blush Duo Bronzer
• Mascara: Bourjious Maxi Franger
• Liner: Smashbox’s JetSet in Jet Black

I was actually having a really bad skin day that day. Thank heavens for concealer, great lighting, and awesome photographers!

xoxo,

Mira

p.s. Had to Photoshop the massive eye bags. Just because I never sleep doesn’t mean I have to look it.

Pretty up today from 1:30pm to 6:30pm at the Eyemimo “Kensington Tea Party” at the Kensington Hotel at Union Square.  There will be drinks, snacks, and tons of other things going on with the girls.

As promised in my previous Examiner article: http://www.examiner.com/beauty-and-accessories-in-san-francisco/let-eyemimo-doll-you-up-this-saturday-at-the-kensington-tea-party I’m picking out my three favorite Eyemimo artificial lashes for you to try whenever you’re feeling adventurous. The ladies of Eyemimo sent me five of their favorites for me to critic and review and these are the ones I’m loving:

When it comes to casual dates, girly brunches, or work parties, if I feel the need to up the gorgeous, I instantly run to a pair of false lashes. The Eyemimo NTR14 does the best job, helping me look bedroom-eyed, without looking overdone, or weighing my eyes down to beddy-bye. (Which a lot of false lashes can do.)

For photoshoots, like work headshots, art shows, and fashiony things, I’m adoring  the Eyemimo NTR02. Just the right allure, while still looking natural. There is a similar one at MAC (MAC Lash 7?) that I just adore and this one comes for less then half the price!

For serious glam: Eyemimo NTR11. Love the criss cross design, which will add both fun, length, and volume.

Three extra tips with false lashes:

• They are reusable so don’t throw them away. Leave them in a cap full of rubbing alchohol and they will clean and sterlize perfectly for the next use. You can get a good 6-10 uses out of some lashes.
• Lashes are not one size fits all. Cut lashes to the size of YOUR eye starting from the inner lash corner using nail scissors.
• For perfect lash application use a tweezer to poke, prod, and place the lash into place while drying. Also, when applying lashes, make sure that the glue is at a tacky-state of dryness first. Freshly applied glue is the epic reason of lash giver-uppers. Tacky glue FTW…blow it likes it’s on fire. Haha

Tea for two later, ladies? I’m even more stoked to be heading to a Union Square hotel. I’m kinda a fancy hotel stocker.